Children of a Lesser God
by HiddenWhiteFang
Summary: As their struggle comes to its dramatic end, Naruto starts to wonder what their lives would be like if their roles were switched. Now, with Naruto's eyes set on Tobi's life for his parents', Naruto begins to understand what drives Sasuke to seek revenge.
1. Prologue: Two Fates

_Author's note: Welcome to my first fanfic! I really hope you enjoy this sick and twisted view into my mind. _

_Also, I am a slow updater. Look for a chapter every two weeks, at best. I'm sorry, but I'm a college student! Please don't let that discourage you from reading this._

_Disclaimer: By writing this story, I do not claim ownership of Naruto, the characters, places and ideas present in the story. They belong to their respected owners. This is for pure entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

_Rate T for: violence, blood, thematic views and whatever else might happen._

_Children of a Lesser God_

_Prologue: Two Fates_

Naruto stood, staring at the raven-haired boy standing on the other side of the rubble-filled lake. The scars of their fight were left on both boys and the land surrounding them. Naruto knew Kakashi and Sakura weren't too far now. Would they make it for the end of the battle? He doubted it. It was obvious that whatever the next attack was would be their last. They were going to decide this here and now, before anyone else saw the end. Naruto was well aware that there were two other figures watching with interest. They wanted to see the outcome for their own, selfish reasons.

Naruto looked between the two clones he had summoned forth. Sasuke knelt on the water, his sword floating next to him, but it would soon be lost. _Where would we be…? _Naruto thought as he held his hand out. His Sage Mode had been used up and the fox's chakra was nothing but wishful thinking. He had only enough for one more; and he knew Sasuke was doing no better. _Where would we be, Sasuke, if it were me on your side and you standing here…? What if it were me instead of you…? _

He stood on shaking legs and Sasuke rose, his hand glowing blue. A round swirling ball formed in Naruto's hand.

_Would you still fight…? _

He stepped forward, Sasuke mirroring his movements.

_Would I still resist…? _

Both took off, slow at first, but soon it was a full sprint.

_What if I wanted revenge and you wanted peace instead of me…?_

They neared each other and Naruto looked at the dead eyes of his best friend. He didn't know what else to do. It had to end and he knew that nothing could save Sasuke now.

_I'll never understand you, Sasuke… _he thought sadly as he lunged. _And what I wouldn't give to understand your feelings… _

The explosion that followed the clash emptied the lake and shook the earth to the core.

/

The sun was setting by the time the young chuunin was finished grading papers and making sure he was ready for his class the next day. He went his usual way home; the way that passed the playground. There was a reason he stopped there every day. While he tried not to play favorites with his students, there truly was one that he cared for more than others. "Iruka!" The young ninja turned to see a white haired ninja walking towards him.

"Kakashi…" Iruka greeted quietly.

"Head in the clouds again?" Kakashi asked. The chuunin shrugged. Kakashi kept his distance. At one point, the two ninja might have been friends, but Iruka had Mizuki and Kakashi had his own students. "I failed them…" Kakashi said, as if reading the younger ninja's thoughts.

"How come every team I send to you gets sent back to me?" Iruka asked. "Are you incapable of passing a cell?"

"Probably," Kakashi said without hearing the younger. Iruka sighed and walked a little faster. Kakashi matched him. "I don't want another group for a while."

"I figured. You've talked to the Hokage, I'm assuming…"

"He agrees…"

"Of course he does! You fail everyone!" Kakashi groaned and turned away from the younger. He started heading adjacent to the path Iruka was taking. "He'll graduate soon!" Iruka called. Kakashi waved his hand to prove that he had heard, but did nothing more. Iruka sighed and continued until he reached the playground. By this point most of the parents had come to get their children to get them into bed.

There were about ten kids still left on the playground. Eight of them were playing some sort of game that was both productive and a little disturbing. It was the ninja equivalent of "Cowboys and Indians." Iruka knew the group of kids well. They were good students and kept him on his toes. He was also well acquainted with the game they played. Four of the kids were the enemy, attacking "Konoha," which at this point seemed to be the slide in the playground.

The other two kids were the ones Iruka really cared about. The first was a raven-haired boy in a black shirt with a fan on the back. He sat, watching the game from one of the swings in the playground. His feet absently kicked the dirt beneath him and his eyes flickered back and forth, as if expecting something to happen at any moment.

The last child was far more interested in the game that the raven-hair. The blonde child watched the game with cool interest. He seemed both disgusted that they were turning war into a game and wistful because he knew they would never ask him to play with them. Iruka sighed. He knew that the kids would never let the blonde or the raven-hair play. He closed his eyes and turned to leave, figuring he had seen enough. It would be dark very soon and the kids would have to go home for the night.

"Hey! Uzumaki!" Iruka stopped dead. No one spoke to the blonde. He turned to watch. The group had given up on their game and they were now surrounding the young boy sitting in the dirt. The raven-haired child was trying hard not to look interested in the break of the unspoken playground rules. "You wanna play with us, Naruto?" the boy asked. Naruto's eyes lit up and he stood slowly, nodding. "Good! You can be the enemy!"

Iruka's heart sunk as quickly as Naruto's face fell. The boy shook his head, suddenly not wanting to play. The group of boys surrounded him and started harassing him, calling him names like "traitor" and "murderer." Iruka couldn't blame the boys, really. They didn't know anything about the twisted past of Uzumaki Naruto. They were just repeating what their parents told them or what they had overheard in private conversations. They didn't truly realize the effect those words had on the target of their parents' hate. "I… I don't want to play…" Naruto whimpered. One of the boys reached from behind Naruto and shoved him face first into the dirt. Another boy kicked dirt into the blonde's face, barely missing connecting with Naruto's nose. Iruka's hand clenched into a fist.

"That's enough!" he shouted, coming towards the group. The boys scattered. They obviously hadn't seen the teacher there to watch their antics. "Naruto…?" the man started, but the child was already running. Iruka could hear the boy crying as he ran. He sighed and turned, leaving the raven-haired boy standing in front of the swing he had been silently observing on. Had Iruka looked, he would have noticed the tightness in the boy's muscle, the look of disgust and concern in his eyes and the kunai in his small, clenched fist.

/

_Five Years Later…_

"Sasuke!" Iruka shouted. The boy lifted his head from where he had it on the desk. He blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Today is a very important day, Sasuke… You could at least try to stay awake…" The Uchiha offered a small smile and then put his head back on the desk. Iruka knew that Sasuke had every interest in class, but he didn't sleep well at night. Iruka usually let the boy sleep in class, but today they were getting their new cell assignments and he wanted Sasuke ready to meet his teacher. Naruto, on the other hand, showed no interest in learning. Iruka rolled his eyes and began reading off the list of names for each cell.

"Hatake Kakashi," he called. A few kids groaned, but the three that had been picked for the man didn't seem to recognize the name. _It's better for them… _he thought. "Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto." Sakura groaned and Sasuke didn't looked too pleased. Iruka had hoped that having the two would calm the revenge-driven boy's rage, but he wasn't sure. "Alright, everyone. You have your assignments. Team Seven, stay here. Kakashi will be here shortly." Iruka watched as the kids left in their new cells to meet their teachers. Only the three remained. Iruka waited with them for a little while before leaving, having his own duties to take care of.

"He's late…" Naruto groaned after another hour of sitting in silence.

"There's nothing we can do about that," Sasuke pointed out without looking up from the blank piece of paper he had been trying to write on.

"He could at least be professional enough to show up on time…" Sakura muttered. She was looking out the window. "Have any of you ever met this guy?"

"I have," Naruto said. "Well, not met him, but I've seen him around."

"He's the guy with the eye thing going on, isn't he?" Sakura asked. Naruto stiffened for just a second, then nodded. "I've seen him before! I've heard really good things about him!"

"Like the fact that he's never passed a cell…?" Sasuke commented absently. Sakura spun to ask what the boy was talking about, but that was when Kakashi made his appearance. Naruto took in the man's appearance with a single glance and then sat down on a desk.

"You're late," he pointed out.

Kakashi laughed and rubbed the back of his neck in what appeared to be embarrassment. "Yeah… About that… You see, there was this black cat, and well… I had to walk around it and go the long way… So—" he was cut off by an eraser hitting him in the side of the face.

"That's a lie!" Naruto snapped, reaching for another projectile.

"That won't be necessary." Kakashi said. "Well… I've known you kids for a total of two minutes… And I have to say that I hate you…"

"Good going, Uzumaki." Sasuke muttered.

"Alright, children," Kakashi said, "come with me and we'll get to know each other better." He led the students out of the building and to the top of the Hokage mansion. "Okay, I'll start. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have a few goals in life, nothing big… I don't have too many dreams left, but I have a lot of hobbies. I don't like a lot, and there are a lot of things I don't like."

"Great…" Sasuke muttered. "So, we basically get to know your name?"

"Pretty much," Kakashi said with a shrug. "So… Sakura, you go next."

"Well, my name is Haruno Sakura, and I have a goal to be the best ninja I can. I really like a lot of things, and I really _don't_ like him…" she said, pointing to Naruto. The blonde's eyes darkened, but he said nothing.

"That was a… good answer… Sasuke…?"

"Well… I guess my dream is to just be the best ninja I can… live up to my family name and all… I don't like my brother… but he's dead, so…" he trailed off. "I'm still trying to find the things that I like… I like to train," he offered quietly.

Kakashi turned to look at Naruto. He wasn't looking forward to the boy's answer, because he knew what it would be. "Naruto?"

"Name's Uzumaki Naruto… My parents died on the day I was born, killed by some masked man whose name I don't even know. My goal is to find him and make him pay for their lives and for the pain he has caused me," the boy growled. Kakashi nodded slowly. He figured as much. The answer was exactly what he had been expecting from the blonde. Naruto stood. "Are we done here?"

Kakashi sighed. "Yeah, we're finished…" he muttered. "I expect all of you here tomorrow morning at sunrise for a test." Naruto scoffed and was gone before Kakashi could speak. He stared down at the receding, orange-clad figure and sighed. _Yeah… This is going to fun, sensei…_

Naruto blinked and looked back at the group. Kakashi wasn't watching him anymore so he veered off and headed off towards the Hokage mansion. He hadn't defaced the Hokage Faces in a while, but he was always sure to leave his father's face clear of marks. He broke off in a sprint and didn't stop until he was standing on top of the Fourth's carved visage. He sat down quietly and closed his eyes.

"Hey dad…" he whispered, putting his hand on the cold stone beneath him. "I graduated today… You would be proud, I think. The man who is my new sensei is lazy… You would be a better teacher by far…" A rare smile crossed the blonde's face. "He seems nice though… kind of funny… But he hates me… like they all do…" he whispered, his smile fading. "But don't worry dad. I don't need them… I don't need friends or a stupid, lazy sensei… I have a purpose in life. I will find the man who took you from me, whoever he is, and I will make sure he pays for everything…"

_Author's note: Kind of short, I know, but hopefully you don't mind! Of course, it is just a prologue! I'll answer any questions you have about the plot itself! Please Read and Review everyone!_


	2. Chapter One: Comatose

_Author's Note: I know I said in the first chapter that I'm a slow updater, but you see, it's summer vacation. It wasn't when I started writing this fic, so I gave you a warning. Don't expect this very often. Thanks to everyone who put this story on their alerts! _

_Children of a Lesser God_

_Part One_

_Chapter One: Comatose_

Naruto woke long before dawn. It wasn't that he was exciting about the test; it was just his normal routine. The boy stumbled into the kitchen and looked at the mess that it was. He never bothered to clean up because no one ever bothered to come over. He opened the fridge and pulled out a container with already cooked ramen. He didn't bother with a lot of things and it didn't matter to him that his breakfast of choice wasn't the healthiest. No one cared, so why should he?

Naruto finished his meal in the dim light of his kitchen then he left the apartment. It was around five in the morning and the sun wouldn't be up for another two hours, give or take. Naruto started running towards the gates, jogging in the cold morning. His morning routine consisted of this every morning, unless he was pulling a prank. _Those days are over, dad, _he promised silently. _I'm a ninja now. I have to get better so that I can avenge your death. _Naruto ran faster and didn't stop until the sky was turning from black to grey. It was then that he turned around to meet Kakashi and the rest of his team.

Naruto stopped when he passed the only dock that he had seen Sasuke sitting on when they were kids. Naruto had never really spoken to Sasuke, other than in class when they were forced to spar. Sasuke was perfect in Naruto's eyes. He was the one built for revenge, not the young Uzumaki. He would have had a motive if the Uchiha's brother, the murderer of the Uchiha clan, hadn't died the very day he destroyed everything. Even without such a drive, Sasuke was still a genius; Naruto, who had drive and ambition, wasn't. Naruto hated and admired Sasuke for that reason, and that was what kept the two children from ever becoming friends.

Naruto blinked and stared off the dock and into the water where he watched the raven-hair boy jump in. He had walked away that day. Sasuke was fine. It wasn't anything to worry about, but he probably could have stopped and made sure. Naruto shrugged and headed back to the mansion where they were to meet Kakashi for their test.

When he arrived, Sakura and Sasuke were already there. Sasuke was walking on the railing of the roof, practicing his balance. He and Sakura were talking about something while Sakura walked beside him on solid ground, ready to assist if needed. Naruto's mood instantly darkened. It was no secret that every girl in the academy (and several others who had already graduated) wanted Sasuke in one way or another. Sakura was no exception by far. She was infatuated by Sasuke, almost to a creepy level. Naruto, however, was infatuated with Sakura. He had had a crush on the girl for years, but she hardly knew he was alive. When they were paired together the day before, he had been elated; then she stomped on his heart. Naruto knew that, like in everything else, he couldn't compete with Sasuke in this area either.

"Hey," he greeted coolly. Sasuke jumped down from his rail, allowing Sakura's hand to linger in his before he pulled away.

"Good morning, Naruto," the raven-haired greeted. Sakura just gave a curt nod in greeting. Naruto couldn't blame her. She still had parents, and every adult in the village hated him and passed on that hatred to their children. She was just projecting her parents' feelings onto him… but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Any idea what this test is?" he asked, deciding to slip through pleasantries by getting right to the heart of their meeting.

"No idea." It was Sakura who answered. Naruto kicked the gravel on the roof and looked out towards the village. The trio stayed in silence until Sakura finally looked up at the Hokage faces. "So… that's your dad?" she asked. Naruto's blood ran cold.

_She had to go there! Why couldn't we just talk about the test? _Naruto thought frantically. "Y-yeah… He's my father…" he answered.

"That's cool… Having a Hokage for a father…"

"You'd think," Naruto said with a shrug, trying not to panic.

"Do you know who killed him?" Sasuke asked. Naruto knew why Sasuke was interested in that. As aforementioned, Sasuke would have a reason for revenge if Itachi wasn't dead, and he obviously understood hatred. _But he could never understand what it's like to feel burning hatred for a living, breathing human being, _Naruto reasoned with himself. He could at least beat Sasuke there.

"No, I don't." Naruto answered simply, his tone indicating that this conversation was over. The trio again fell into an awkward, strained silence. The sun continued its climb, apathetic to the troubles of the three kids that stood, observing the shadows it moved. Kakashi didn't come until one hour before noon. By that time, Naruto's stomach was growling. "You're late!" Naruto snapped.

Kakashi sighed. "I know… you see… there was this old lady, and she was carrying these bags, and I just had to help her."

"You're not that nice," Naruto snapped. Kakashi was taken aback, though he only showed it for a second.

"Anyway, follow me," Kakashi said, walking back the way he came. Naruto followed silently.

"You could be nicer to him," Sakura suggested. "He's trying."

"If he was trying, we'd been training for hours already. I don't have time to waste waiting on him!"

"Yes, because your life is so more _important _than everyone else's!" Sakura snapped back.

"At least I have a purpose!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke was running ahead to get Kakashi to stop this.

"A purpose?" Sakura challenged. "The only purpose you have is to kill a man who killed your father when the whole blasted thing was _your fault!" _

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks and even Sakura looked shocked by what she had said. "Don't… _ever_ talk to me about my father!" Naruto shouted.

"That is enough you two!" Kakashi snapped, stepping between the two students. "This team is doomed from the start if we can't even get to the first test without someone wanting to kill someone else." He scoffed and started off again. Sakura followed and after a minute, Naruto came behind. The rest of the walk to the training grounds was silent. Kakashi seemed either angry or completely lost in thought. Either way, he obviously didn't like what was happening in his team already.

_Get used to it, sensei… because if she says something like that again, I won't hesitate…_ Naruto thought darkly. His secret crush, however, wasn't forgotten. He couldn't blame her for her feelings. She thought like the rest of the village and how could he truly blame her? There was a flaw in Konoha ninja… they were too accepting of other's point of view.

Kakashi didn't stop until they had reached the training fields. He turned towards his students and held up two silver bells. "The goal of this exercise is to steal these bells from me."

"But there's only two…" Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. One of you won't get a bell. The one who doesn't get one will be tied to a log and forced to watch the rest of us eat the lunches I have provided. I only brought three bento boxes, so either way you won't be able to eat." He smiled as if he were telling them something that was actually good.

"So… It's a contest?" Naruto asked.

"If you chose to see it that way, then yes, it is a contest." The man put an alarm clock on one of the logs. "You have one hour to try and steal the bells from me. When this clock goes off, your hour is up."

_This is it! _Naruto thought, shaking with excitement. _I can finally beat Sasuke and show them all what I'm worth!_ The boy started the handsigns.

"I didn't say 'go,' Naruto…" Kakashi said. He smiled. "Go!" then he was gone. Naruto cursed. Sasuke took off into the trees while Sakura headed for the lake in the field. Naruto groaned and started after Sasuke.

_I'll get him… And I'll take both the bells. That'll show them all…_ Naruto stalked through the trees, listening for Kakashi and any indication of where he went. He heard a noise, but a quick glance showed him that it was Sasuke. Naruto smirked and followed the young Uchiha silently. Sasuke was obviously on a trail.

Naruto jumped as a kunai was hurled towards him. He jumped back and fell right into a hole that had been covered in leaves. _What the—_he thought. _Who had time to set this up? _He looked up to see Sakura staring down at him. "You're not Kakashi…" she observed.

"No dip," Naruto snapped. "Hand me a rope?"

"Only if you stop being so rude," Sakura snapped back.

Naruto sighed. _We _are_ a team, I suppose. _"May I please have a rope?" he asked, using real sincerity in his voice. There was no hint of sarcasm. Sakura smiled and threw down a rope. "When did you have time to set this up…?" he asked.

"I came last night," Sakura explained. "They're everywhere." Naruto smiled and climbed out of the pit.

"Good idea…" he commented. They stood there for a moment in silence.

"Well… I guess we should get going, huh?" Sakura said.

"Y-yeah… See ya… and good luck."

"You too, idiot," Sakura said as she ran off. Naruto smiled. She hadn't been insulting him that time.

Naruto watched her go and then went off the find Sasuke again. _I guess this isn't all bad… _he thought happily. _Maybe they'll warm up to me… or something…_ He shrugged. _Only time will tell, dad..._

There was only about a quarter hour left by the time Naruto finally found Kakashi. The young blonde was up in a tree and the sensei was sitting beneath another tree five meters away from his own. Naruto smirked. _You won't be so cocky…_ he growled inwardly. As he prepared for the attack, a slight movement caught his eye. Sasuke was in the same tree that Kakashi was sitting under. _If I wait for Sasuke to launch his attack, Kakashi will be distracted. He doesn't seem to know that either of us is here…_ Naruto looked at Sasuke and cocked his head. The older boy was covered in various scratches, showing that he had already caught up to their sensei once. _Good… Maybe he's picked up some good tips…_

It took Sasuke another minute to prepare his attack and he did handsigns. Naruto's eyes widened as fire came from the Uchiha's mouth. They weren't supposed to know elemental jutsu yet. Kakashi also found this revelation quite shocking, because he wasn't as quick to move from the fire balls. One licked his arm. "Well… Looks like I'm going to have to put my book away…" the older man said. He smirked as Sasuke came for him, throwing several kunai as he did. Kakashi easily dodged the kunai, but where he had planned on landing, Sasuke was there. Kakashi's one exposed eye went wide and he spun, aiming a punch at Sasuke's head.

_Now's my chance! _Naruto thought. He lunged from his tree. Fate, however, was not on anyone's side at the moment. As Kakashi's fist made contact with Sasuke's jaw, the Uchiha was thrown towards Naruto, hitting the Uzumaki square in the chest. Naruto, furious and a little frightened, since he had not yet realized that Sasuke wasn't a large projectile, hit the tree behind him and then lunged forward. In his desperate attempt to beat Kakashi at his own game, he grabbed Sasuke's shirt and hurled the boy forward, using his own momentum from pushing off the tree. Sasuke landed on Kakashi seconds before Naruto hit. The three ninja fell in a wriggling heap.

Sasuke was the first to notice that they were not lying on their sensei anymore, but a log with a piece of paper nailed on that said "nice try."

"Good job, Uchiha! You made me miss!"

"Me? You were the one throwing me around like a kunai!"

"Well, maybe if you didn't get in my way, none of this would have happened!"

"I'm sorry for become your projectile!" Sasuke snapped back.

"Yeah, well next time stay out of my way!"

"Maybe next time I should just let you die, you jerk!"

"As if our lives were in danger!" Naruto growled.

"If this had been a real field mission, we'd _both_ be dead! All because you are a clumsy idiot!"

"_I _had a plan that would have worked had you not been so _useless!" _Naruto countered.

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a loud alarm. "That's it! Test is over!" Naruto grunted and stepped away from Sasuke. He looked over at Kakashi. The man still had two bells on his belt.

"So, no one won…?" Naruto asked.

"Not exactly…"

Ten minutes later Naruto was tied to a log and Sasuke and Sakura were opening their bento boxes. "How is this fair? None of us got a bell!" Naruto shouted, fighting against his restraints.

"Because out of all of you three, you showed the least potential in that exam! I didn't expect you three to _win_, but I expected an effort, which you did not exhibit for me!" Kakashi turned away. "But either way, none of you really showed me any sort of skill… I've never seen such a worst bunch of ninja in my life! All of you fail! You will _never_ be ninja if I have anything to say about it!"

"_What?"_ the three of them exclaimed in unison. _This can't happen! I can't find the Masked Man and destroy him if I can't even pass a stupid entry exam!_

"We passed the academy graduation exam!" Sakura said her eyes wide. She wasn't used to failure.

"I don't care. If I don't think you kids have the skills to become a ninja, I can fail you. It's to save your own lives!" Kakashi countered.

"Give us another chance!" Sasuke begged.

Kakashi sighed. "Very well. You two finish your lunch. I'll be back in two hours and we'll go again."

"What about Naruto?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"Naruto is being punished for being an idiot. He technically lost this exam, so he doesn't eat."

"We all lost," Sasuke pointed out.

"Stop arguing with me, Sasuke," Kakashi said. Sasuke nodded. "Anyway. You two do _not_ feed Naruto! If either of you do, you fail automatically. Am I understood?" The three students nodded; though Naruto looked none-too-happy about his fate. Kakashi waved and then walked away, disappearing back into the trees.

Sasuke and Sakura began eating silently and slowly. Both of them looked guilty about eating in front of Naruto. The blonde tried not to watch them. _Guess we're back to being enemies… _Naruto thought. _I can't figure them out, dad… One minute I think we could be friends, the next I want to kill them… I think Sakura is sorry for what she said… but Sasuke's such a mystery… It might be better if I don't get attached, you know…?_

Naruto jumped when his stomach protested. He tried to play it off like it was nothing. Sasuke sighed and picked up his chopsticks. He said nothing as he went to offer Naruto something. "What are you doing?" Sakura gasped. "We can't feed him!"

"He's hungry…" Sasuke muttered. "Besides, if we want to beat Kakashi, we have to stop competing. The only way we're going to win is to work together and if Naruto is too busy thinking about how hungry he is, we won't have a chance."

"But only two of us will get a bell!"

Naruto blinked. "You two can have the bells," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…" _It's not like I _need_ this or anything… _he added silently.

"But… the food…" Sakura said. "We're not allowed to feed him!"

"He's not our sensei yet. Besides, he's gone… probably to read that weird book of his. He'll never know if we feed him."

Sakura seemed to ponder the statement. "Well, then let me be the one to get in trouble. You are already in hot water with sensei… both of you are." She held up her own chopsticks for Naruto to eat.

A large puff of smoke came from nowhere. "What do you think you're doing?" Kakashi shouted, appearing as the smoke vanished. "I gave you _one_ order! And you couldn't even handle that!"

""S-sensei! We're sorry!" Sakura gasped.

"I'm not," Sasuke said. "I was helping a teammate. I regret nothing."

"Teammate? You two were about to kill each other a little while ago," Kakashi questioned.

"I was mad…"

"So was I," Naruto offered hopefully. He had never had anyone his age stand up for him before.

"He is my teammate and I will suffer anything you have for me to help him… or Sakura for that matter."

Kakashi stood tall over the three students. "Well… I have one thing to say to you kids…" All three braced themselves for the lecture and the yelling that was bound to follow. "You… _pass!"_

Naruto blinked. "Passed…?"

Kakashi nodded. "Every other team I've had sat there and let their other teammate starve," he explained. "You three are the first to understand the importance of teamwork. And I've never had a group of students stand up to me like that! I can work with this team."

"But… the bells…?"

"Were just there to force you guys to either compete or work together. In your life as a ninja, you will have to make difficult choices. You might have to leave a comrade behind, maybe leave them for dead. Not everyone can win, so sometimes you have to pick the lesser of two evils…" Kakashi explained. He put his hand on a stone with many names carved on it. "You see, there are heroes in this village. The ones whose faces are carved in the mountain… Everyone knows them… but it's these names that are the ones that should be praised." His fingers lingered on a name and he smiled sadly. "But not many people know who they are…" He noted the kids' look of confusion. "They're the ones that died in the field…"

"Oh… Do you know anyone on that stone…?"

"A few…" Kakashi answered. "Anyway, Sakura and Sasuke, you two are free to go. Naruto, since you still failed the exam, you'll be here till sundown." Sasuke stood and smiled at Kakashi. He patted Naruto's head and started off. Sakura ran after him, asking him if he wanted to go get some tea. "There's another reason I wanted you to stay, Naruto… We need to talk… and since you're tied up, you can't go anywhere."

"Great… so you're kidnapping now…?" He shrugged. "Guess it doesn't matter. No one will look for me…"

"Naruto, I knew your father," Kakashi said. The sentence had its desired effect. Naruto's interest was thoroughly peaked. "I want you to try to get along with Sasuke and Sakura… Your father was my sensei and he taught me about teamwork… I really think he would want you to make friends…" Naruto scoffed. "Revenge isn't something you should be going after! That man you want took down a Hokage, Naruto!"

"Yes! And that Hokage was my father!" Naruto snapped. Kakashi closed his exposed eye and sighed. "Sensei, I know you think you know better, but this is something I _have_ to do, and to do that, I need you to teach me everything to the best of your ability. I can't afford to slack off and neither can you!"

"I appreciate your dedication, but I am the sensei and you are the student, you know," Kakashi said. "Naruto, please. There are people who care about you, and the way you're going will hurt everyone…"

Naruto scoffed. "I doubt it…"

"Just think about it, Naruto… I'll come untie you later…"

Naruto shook his head and sighed. _He'll never fully understand… He may have known you, but he doesn't understand what we have… _Naruto thought angrily. Kakashi kept his promise. When the sun was sinking down, he came back to untie the boy.

"You want to go get some ramen, Naruto?"

"No… I'm good…"

"Well, take tomorrow off. We have our first mission the day after tomorrow!" he called as Naruto walked away from him. Naruto waved to show he had heard and then kept going. He didn't have anything else to say to Kakashi… or to anyone…

_Author's note: Yay! A little longer than the prologue! Hope you guys are enjoying this! _


	3. Chapter Two: To Protect You

_Author's note: Ha-ha! I told you I would be late! I've been planning this one, so at least it's not totally being pulled out of my butt! I wanna make it awesome because I'm so late! DX Enjoy!_

_Chapter Two: To Protect You…_

"I'm _bored!" _Naruto shouted, throwing his speared stick into the water. Kakashi watched the tool drift away in the lazy current.

"If you're so bored, go get that," he instructed. "We're here to pick up litter, not make more of it." Naruto scowled at the man. "Give me that look one more time and I will throw you off the waterfall. Now, go get it before you lose it!" Naruto was more a handful than he could have imagined. _If this is how I acted, then let the heavens strike me down now for putting Minato-sensei through this… _

"I'll get it," Sasuke offered when Naruto made no move to get his stick.

"No. Naruto lost it, Naruto will get it." Sasuke bowed his head and continued to collect trash. Naruto groaned and started downstream towards his floating spear.

"Stupid sensei…" he muttered. "And stupid Sasuke… I can do this on my own! He's just a suck-up! I'll bet he's just trying to become Kakashi's favorite! Well, let him have it, that stupid devil. He and Kakashi can have a great life together! Go read bad books and put people in stupid illusions or something. I'll bet Sasuke would love that!" Naruto grabbed the stick once he caught up with it, almost snapping it in the process. "I can't stand either of them!"

"That's not very nice…" Naruto turned to see Sakura standing behind him. "You know that they're just trying to be a team… And Kakashi's a good teacher."

"If he was such a good teacher, then why are we picking up trash? Yesterday we cleaned a garden! These aren't ninja chores! I feel like hired help! How am I going to find my father's murderer if I'm stuck cleaning rivers? I've never even left the village!"

Sakura sighed. "Then tell him that, Naruto, and stop acting like a total jerk," she snapped.

"Easy for you to say," Naruto scoffed, kicking up some water. He sighed deeply. Sakura was finally talking to him and he was acting terrible. "Thanks, Sakura…" he muttered as if it were an afterthought. Sakura smiled warmly, happy to see the softer side of the young Uzumaki.

Naruto didn't say a word when he returned to the group. Sasuke smiled and waved at the boy, but Naruto didn't acknowledge his presence. The raven-haired child sighed and closed his eyes. _He hates me…_ he thought sadly. _I don't know what to do…_

/

"They need a better mission…" Kakashi concluded. He was sitting in the Hokage's office, trying to explain why a genin team was making such bold demands. "Naruto is… getting bored…"

"You act like it is imperative that we keep Naruto entertained," the Hokage said. He was standing behind his desk.

"Naruto-kun gets bored easily… and he has it in his head that he has to avenge Minato-sensei's death. If we don't provide Naruto with adequate training, he will search elsewhere. And I, for one, wouldn't want someone like him as the village's enemy."

"He does hold a potential unlike any I've ever seen…" Hiruzen said quietly. "I agree that I wouldn't want him to become our enemy." He sighed. "Very well. I actually have a man who needs a team to escort him to the Land of Wave. It's a simple mission. The man doesn't have much to hide; he just wants to make sure no bandits come after him…"

"And most bandits will stay away from a person with a ninja escort…" Kakashi finished. The Hokage nodded. "That sounds great! My cell would be pleased to hear that we have a mission outside the village."

The Hokage nodded and gave Kakashi his instructions. "I will send an ANBU to alert Sasuke and Sakura… it would be best if you went to Naruto personally and made sure he knows exactly what this mission means for him…" the man said. Kakashi nodded, and then bowed before turning and heading towards Naruto's house.

When he got there, no one answered. "Naruto?" he called. "Look, I know you're mad at me, but the Hokage gave us an escort mission… so if you would come out, that would be great…" There was the sound of someone rummaging through a mess and then the door opened.

"Come in. I'll be ready in a minute," Naruto said. Kakashi nodded and followed the boy inside. He hadn't been inside the small apartment in years and he was surprised at the massive changes that had been made. The place was a mess and the wall was littered with wanted posters from all over the world. Criminals as far as the Land of Snow donned the boy's wall. Most of them had large X's over them, showing that they weren't who Naruto was looking for. The boy knew that who he was looking for was an Uchiha with a mask, but he didn't know much more than that. They didn't want to give him too much information in case he got it into his head that he could go find this man on his own.

Naruto was ready in just enough time for Kakashi to ponder his thoughts. "Let's go!" he said, brightening up. Kakashi hadn't seen that smile in a long time and it pleased him to know that the sweet child they all once knew was still alive and well in there.

"Sounds good. We're escorting a man to the Land of Waves. It's a lower rank mission, but it'll be good for you guys to see the world a little more. There is more to this world than our little village." Kakashi smiled. "Just try to be nice to our client, Naruto… Please…" he added.

"Or course!" Naruto said with a wider smile. Kakashi dared to pat the boy on the head and was surprised that Naruto didn't try to push him away or otherwise act like it embarrassed him. Kakashi smiled.

When they got to the gates, an elderly mad was standing at them, waiting somewhat impatiently. Sasuke and Sakura were there as well, talking about one thing or another. Their conversation halted, however, when Naruto got close. Naruto offered a friendly wave to signal that he wasn't being as sensitive as he was that morning. The elderly man scowled at the group that had gathered. "This is my ninja escort?" he asked. "They're just a bunch of kids! That one in orange can't be any more than ten!" he snapped.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, but it was Sasuke who jumped to defend the boy. "He's a good ninja…" he said.

Kakashi nodded. "You get what you paid for. You asked for a ninja escort from bandits and this is what you get," he explained. "And my team is more than capable of getting you to your destination, Tazuna-san." His tone implied that he would not tolerate any jabs at his cell. The man sighed.

"Super…" the man muttered. "Very well. Let's get moving then, shall we?"

Kakashi nodded again. "Alright. Sakura, take the lead please. Sasuke and Naruto to the left and right. I'll take the rear." The team nodded curtly and quickly moved into position. Once they were together, Kakashi gave the command to move. They did so, with their client in the middle. The rear position was often the worst to be in. It was always the first to be attacked, which was why Kakashi wanted to make sure none of his students got it.

The trek was rather uneventful. Kakashi kept his senses peaked and ready, but even he began to relasx as the day wore on from early afternoon to late evening. The sun was sinking by that time, but their client wanted to keep going. He seemed to be in a hurry. When the stars were out, Kakashi called a halt. "Alright. That's enough for the day."

"Are you kidding me?" Tazuna asked. "There's still plenty of moonlight to burn!"

"My students are young and I would rather them get a good night's sleep. We'll get you home tomorrow," Kakashi countered. He would have no argument. The team went about setting up a small campsite. "I will take watch first. Sasuke, I want you to be next, okay?" The young Uchiha nodded. The three children curled up on sleeping bags and Kakashi smiled as they each fell asleep. Even the bridge builder seemed to relax enough to sleep.

Things turned when Kakashi stood to change positions with Sasuke. He stretched, but as he did so, he noticed movement in the trees. He narrowed his eye and watched the tree line. Again a branch rustled… only slightly, but enough to catch the master ninja's eye. He took a step towards the trees and fell back as a wave of senbon flew towards him. "Everybody up!" he shouted as he took off towards the trees.

A massive sword came towards the man. Kakashi jumped over it. _It can't be_! He thought. He turned back to the team. "Run!" he screamed as a black-haired, masked ninja ran passed Kakashi and towards the team. Kakashi spun to catch the masked figure, but was stopped with a Kunai to his back. He fell.

"Sensei!" Sakura shouted. She turned to Naruto and Sasuke, who were both up and standing back to back in front of Tazuna, weapons ready. The black haired ninja was closing in on the team. Sakura pulled out several kunai and hurled them at the ninja, who dodged them easliy. Sakura bit her lip and ran to intercept the other ninja.

"Stay with Tazuna-san!" Sasuke instructed Naruto. The blonde nodded and the Uchiha took off after Sakura. She heard him coming from behind and dropped to her knees as Sasuke jumped over her, using her back as a spring board. Sasuke clashed with the attacking ninja. His strength was nothing less than shocking. The ninja spun, sweeping Sasuke's feet underneath him. The Uchiha fell, but was instantly replaced by Sakura. The girl kicked the ninja in the side of his head, sending him stumbling back, stunned for a moment. Sasuke lunged, hitting the man in the belly and wrapping his arms around the ninja's waist. They both hit the ground hard, but as they did, the mysterious ninja vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he scrambled away from where the ninja had been. He spun as he heard a shout. The ninja was attacking Naruto and Tazuna. He ran towards the fight that had broken out over there. "Make sure Kakashi's still alive!" Sasuke shouted at Sakura. She nodded and ran towards where Kakashi's body had been. He wasn't there… instead there was just a simple log. Sakura blinked and looked for her sensei. The sword that had been thrown at Kakashi was also missing.

"Kakashi!" Sakura shouted… No answer came from the trees.

Naruto whipped around, aiming a kick to the masked ninja's side. He fell short and his roundhouse kick knocked in off balance. He lifted his hands and started hand signs, but the ninja grabbed his wrists and shook them. Naruto screamed and backed away, both hands throbbing. The ninja turned and went after the bridge builder. "Not so fast!" Naruto snapped. He shook his hands to try and pop his wrists back in place before running after the ninja. He jumped onto the ninja's back. The silent man fell back, landing hard on Naruto and forcing the air from his lungs. Before Naruto could fully recover, the man had taken full advantage of his momentary paralysis. He kicked Naruto in the side of the head and then took off towards the bridge builder, only to find that he had taken too long with the blonde kid. Sasuke was now in front of his target, kunai ready.

"I do not wish to harm you…" the man said quietly. Sasuke only narrowed his eyes in response. The two stared at each other for a moment or two before the man shook his head and ran towards Sasuke. The Uchiha jumped into the air and offered a kick to the top of the man's head. His foot, however, hit air and instead he felt several senbon enter his side. Sasuke fell to the ground, holding the injury. The man turned again to his target and sprinted forward. He was determined not to be stopped by anyone this time.

Fate had other ideas. Naruto had recovered enough to be there when the attacker made it. Angry, the man grabbed Naruto's shirt and hurled him against a tree. Naruto hit with a loud thud and fell to the ground. The man realized now that the team, while not good enough to defeat him, was becoming a nuisance. He would have to kill at least one of them… and the blonde seemed to be the one that he would have to destroy.

He lifted the senbon, holding them between each finger, and then threw them.

"NARUTO!"

When Naruto opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself alive. He looked up to see Sasuke standing over him. "You… okay…?" he gasped. Naruto's eyes widened. Blood was falling from Sasuke's mouth. "Are you… okay…?" Sasuke asked again.

"W-why…?" Naruto asked.

"I've always… wanted to protect you…" Sasuke answered, wincing in pain. "Ever since I knew… there was someone like me… Someone without anything… but the strength to keep breathing… That day… on the playground… And whenever I saw—"he coughed, spraying blood in Naruto's face. "—saw you being bullied… I wanted to protect you…" Naruto clenched his fists.

"You didn't have to!" he shouted. "I didn't ask for your help!"

"I… know…" Sasuke whispered. "But you have more to live for…"

Naruto watched Sasuke fall to the ground. He clenched his fists and turned to the masked ninja. The man had taken to watching the two with mild interest. Tazuna was already lying on the ground. He was still alive, but was injured. Naruto stood shakily. "Have you not witnessed death before?" the ninja asked. Naruto turned to Sasuke, then back to the ninja.

"The only death I will witness is _yours_" he shouted as his eyes flew open to reveal a purple, ringed pattern. The masked ninja stumbled back. Naruto lunged forward after the ninja. The world became hazy as the boy attacked Sasuke's would-be murderer.

/

"Naruto-kun…? Naruto! Naruto-kun, wake up! Please wake up!"

Naruto opened his eyes slowly. Sakura was shaking his shoulder in an attempt to revive him. He blinked and turned to look around. Kakashi was standing over with Tazuna, saying something to him. Sasuke was bandaged but alive near Naruto. The sun was just coming over the horizon. _How long have I been out…? And what in the world happened…? _He looked around some more but could not find the body or any other sign of the masked ninja.

"You're awake!" Sakura gasped. "Sensei! He's awake!"

Kakashi rushed over to the boy and knelt beside him. "Are you okay…?" he asked. Naruto nodded slowly. Kakashi rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder and then turned to Tazuna. "Bandits?" he shouted as he stood. "Those weren't bandits! Those were assassins!"

"Those…?" Naruto asked quietly. He noticed how beaten Kakashi looked now. He seemed to have been fighting his own battle.

"You asked for a C-ranked mission and you sent genin into a battlefield!" Kakashi advanced on the bridge builder. "You put my team in extreme danger! They could have _died! _Can't you see that? They weren't ready for this kind of mission! I ought to arrest you here and drag your sorry, lying self _back_ to Konoha to rot!"

The bridge builder shook his head. "I needed an escort and I couldn't afford anyone better!" he retorted. "Please! There are things going on in our home and this bridge can stop all of it! Please don't condemn them for my stupidity!"

Kakashi sighed and turned to Naruto. "Can you walk…?" he asked. Naruto nodded and stood shakily.

"What about Sasuke…?"

"I'll carry him…" Kakashi answered. "Sakura, stay with Naruto and make sure he is okay." Sakura nodded and moved to Naruto's side."Let's move out…"

/

"You have failed, Demon of the Mist…"

"There were unforeseen complications…" the masked ninja said quietly. He was lying in a bed, bandaged heavily. It was a miracle he was alive. Another man sat beside the bed of the other. His hair was short bandages covered his face. A massive sword was propped beside the man's chair.

"'Unforeseen complications?'" the short man in the room snapped. "Like what?"

"The blonde boy… possesses the Rinnegan…" the man in the chair said. "Or so Haku says…"

"He does…" Haku said with a nod. "I was barely able to escape."

"That changes nothing! You two are master ninja! Strange eye powers are nothing if they are on a genin! You will not fail me again! Even if it means that boy's death!"

_Author's Note: Yay! I finished it! FINALLY! I'm SO sorry guys! I hope it was worth the wait!_


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